cycling

The Earth’s climate is changing. In the past, the climate warmed and cooled due to natural processes. Now humans are changing the climate by burning fossil fuels and permanently deforesting landscapes. Many of our wildlands are being stressed beyond their natural ability to adapt to these dramatic changes, and the full extent of how to deal with these changes remains unclear.

WASHINGTON — A report released today by The Wilderness Society emphasizes the enormous carbon reserves held by forests in the contiguous states — roughly equivalent to more than 20 years of current United States greenhouse gas emissions from industrial and other sources. Across the U.S., public and protected forests generally store the most carbon.